OHALUSHU – The communities of Ohangwena Region and national leaders flocked to the Ohalushu church on Saturday to pay their last respects to the late Ruth Kepawa Nhinda, Swapo Party MP in the National Council and councillor for Endola Constituency in Ohangwena Region.
The 59-year-old Nhinda, who died last week in Windhoek Medi-Clinic after losing a battle with cancer, was laid to rest at her home village of Ohalushu.
Nhinda had been a councillor of Endola and an MP since 2004.
She was a teacher and joined Swapo Party in 1988 and in the same year she was elected as a Swapo branch coordinator for Ohalushu.
Speaker after speaker described Nhinda as a hardworking woman who was full of energy in the fight against social injustice.
The Swapo Party Secretary General Nangolo Mbumba in his message of condolence described Nhinda‘s departure as a big loss to the nation as she was a mentor and unifier.
“The Swapo Party did not only lose a dedicated, committed, disciplined and hardworking politician, the country lost a teacher,” said Mbumba in a message delivered by Works and Transport Minister Erkki Nghimtina.
Nhinda served on various standing committees in the national council and was passionate about the promotion of gender equality and rural development.
“Comrade Nhinda played different roles in a leadership position, from being a branch coordinator to a member of the regional council and regional executive committee and the National Council,” said Mbumba.
National Council Chairman Asser Kapere described her as a visionary strong leader who had the nation at heart.
“As we are saying goodbye to a person who had the gender issue close to her heart. Allow me to make this opportunity to remind ourselves that our people particularly our mothers and sisters, and daughters continue to be victims of domestic violence, therefore in order to honour the legacy of Nhinda I make today an appeal to all men particularly those engaging in domestic violence in the form of beating, raping and murdering our mothers, sisters, daughters to take it from me as advice and instruction to stop immediately and unconditionally with such barbaric acts,” said Kapere.